Hosta 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' (3-Litre Pot)

The Hosta 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' is an award winning Hosta which produces dark blue-green leaves that curve upwards to form a cup shape. These subtle colours and large, broad, coarse leaves fill a niche in garden design that few other plants can achieve.

Beyond the primary attraction of impressive foliage, this Hosta also produces delicate white flowers, early in the summer. An easy plant to grow and maintain, it can reach heights of around 45cm with a wide spread of up to 90cm.

Grown in-house at Gates Garden Centre, this 3 litre pot 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' Hosta is best when mixed in with other perennials in beds and borders in a shaded garden and is particularly effective when used as groundcover or to underplant shrubs and roses. It can be used in both city and informal cottage gardens and can be planted in containers. Its large leaves also provide excellent coverage for dying bulb foliage.

Plant from its pot into a position of partial shade with fertile, moist and well drained soil. Sandy loam is better than clay as it provides more aeration for the roots. Watch for slugs and snails, remove spent foliage as required and clear up dead foliage when it dies back at the end of the growing season. Propagate by division in early spring or late summer.

Details

• Hosta 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' in a 3 litre pot
• Recipient of the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit
• Flower colour: White
• Foliage colour: Green and cream
• Position: Partial shade
• Aspect: East-facing or North-facing
• Soil type: Fertile, moist but well-drained
• Hardiness: Fully hardy
• Flowering period: June - July
• Plant height: 45cm
• Plant width: 90cm
• Grown in-house at Gates Garden Centre